Rick Springfield to play Lucifer on 'Supernatural'

SAN DIEGO, July 25 (UPI) -- Rick Springfield is headed for long-running CW series Supernatural.

The 66-year-old Australian singer and actor confirmed as much on Twitter after the show's executive producers announced the news Sunday at San Diego Comic-Con.

"I'll be playing Lucifer in 'Supernatural' @cw_spn Season 12," the star tweeted that evening.

Executive producers Robert Singer and Andrew Dabb had revealed Springfield will appear in the first few episodes of the new season. Lucifer, who possessed Castiel's (Misha Collins) body in Season 11, will move to a rock star (Springfield) in Season 12.

"You need a really strong vessel ... like Castiel," Singer said. "The first vessel that [Lucifer] feels comfortable with is a rock star who's a little bit on the down side who's trying to come back."

Dabb told fans they cast Springfield because they wanted a real musician who could also act. The producer said Springfield was "really great" in Ricki and the Flash and True Detective Season 2.

Supernatural Season 12 will premiere Oct. 13. The series stars Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles as brothers Sam and Dean Winchester, who travel across the country hunting supernatural creatures.

Springfield played Dr. Irving Pitlor on True Detective and Dr. Noah Drake on General Hospital. The singer is known for such hits as "Jessie's Girl" and "Affair of the Heart" and last released the album Rocket Science in February.